Early risers on select Carnival Cruise Line ships now have a new way to get their morning caffeine fix… without the wait.

The cruise line has launched a mobile ordering feature on its Hub app that lets guests order select coffees to go, with pickup at designated bars like Vista Bar.

The feature means to ease morning congestion at JavaBlue Café, Carnival’s popular specialty coffee shop.

“The reason we are doing this is to reduce the lines at the JavaBlue Café,” shared John Heald, Carnival Cruise Line Brand Ambassador, on his social media.

“It is convenient for people who wish to get an express coffee, and it is certainly not something you have to do, and it has definitely, absolutely definitely, helped the line, especially during the early hours of the morning at the JavaBlue Café,” he heradled.

The service is available from 7 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on participating ships, including Carnival Vista.

Notably, the “Cheers!” and “Drinks On Us” packages are excluded, meaning passengers on those plans will need to pay additionally for any app-based coffee orders.

That caveat drew criticism online, with some guests calling it a “money-grabber” and another “nickel-and-dime” moment. Others asked why mobile ordering couldn’t be a perk for Cheers! package holders.

Several guests suggested that a non-alcoholic beverage package, covering mocktails and specialty coffees, should be offered for non-drinkers.

Despite the criticism, Heald said that the move is about guest convenience.

“You still get your coffee included in the Cheers! program and at the Java Blue,” he said, adding, “There is not likely to be a long line because of the express offering.”

Carnival Cruise Line has not confirmed which ships will receive the feature next, but based on Heald’s comments, the program is expanding soon.

App-Based Coffee Orders

While feedback is mixed, Carnival says the goal is to give guests more choice. For those looking to dodge lines at peak hours, the app can now be used to place an order in advance, then pick up their drink at a participating venue.

According to the current rollout, only certain drinks are available for mobile ordering. Specialty espresso drinks, cold brew, and iced coffees appear to be part of the offering, but frozen, blended beverages like frappes may not be included.

Read Also: 20 Must-Know Things About The Carnival Hub App

Orders are placed via the Carnival Hub app and do not offer delivery. Instead, guests must pick up their drink in person.

The service is only active during limited hours in the morning, which is typically the busiest time for coffee lines.

Some guests said the feature would be helpful on larger ships or port days. “I’ve been on other ships where the lines were long and the ability to order ahead would have been amazing,” wrote one recent passenger who used the service on Carnival Vista.

JavaBlue Café remains the centerpiece of Carnival’s specialty coffee offerings. Found on most newer ships, the café serves espresso drinks, teas, iced coffees, and pastries in a modern setting.

Pricing is a la carte but drinks not pre-ordered are included in the Cheers! package when ordered in person.

Other ships may feature the Coffee Bar, offering similar options near the atrium.

While room service coffee is complimentary, it’s standard drip coffee and not the robust coffee experience that drives the long lines that prompted Carnival Cruise Line to add the new pre-order service.

Many people opt to book their cruise vacations through a travel agent because the travel professional will handle all the planning and organizing on their behalf.

Especially for first-time cruisers who are nervous about the process, having an expert to guide them as they plan their vacation can be the path of least resistance.

But what happens if you lose access to your travel agent before you set sail? One Carnival cruise guest is finding out the hard way after their travel agent actually died.

“All was fine, confirmed booking confirmation through carnival, email receipts, etc. But as I made my final lump sum payment through her provided payment link 7/3 I received a receipt of payment via email. But no charge to my card,” the future guest explained on Reddit.

“With the holiday upcoming I assumed it was that, about a week went by and still no charge on my account for the balance. So I reach out to the travel agent via email and phone and unlike before I received no response,” they continued.

Unfortunately, the guest didn’t realize that there was an issue until they reached their final payment, although it’s not clear when the deadline was.

If the final payment deadline is missed, Carnival Cruise Line may cancel the person’s cruise and retain the deposit, which can happen automatically and without warning. 

The reason behind the agent’s mysterious disappearance, after she had previously been appropriately communicative, was unfortunately a tragic one.

Worth Reading: Carnival Cruisers Scramble After Their Age Nearly Cancels Cruise

“A few days later I received a text from the travel agents phone number saying she had passed from terminal cancer,” the cruiser said. 

The Redditor, who had booked the sailing to celebrate their cousin’s 30th birthday, seemed to not be aware that their agent was sick in the first place.

Their cousin actually used the same agent and had recommended her in the first place, but is now likely in a similar bind.

Whoever sent the message did not advise on next steps and didn’t give an alternate point of contact, leaving the guest scratching their head on what to do next.

Options Moving Forward

When passengers retain a travel agent, they become the point of contact between their guests and the cruise line.

So, while guests with travel agents can still call the cruise line for help, the customer service representatives will often direct them back to their private travel professionals.

Even so, this cruiser’s initial instinct to call the cruise line directly for help was correct. And although it came with some extra hassle, it does appear Carnival was able to help.

Perhaps more importantly, the cruise line is now aware of the circumstances, which may give the future passenger more time to ensure their final payment is made.

“I was on hold for about an hour and half and they still couldn’t fix it totally during the call,” the guest shared.

“They made notes and are going to have everything swapped from her over to me so I can have control over my booking through the website and hub app.”

In order to access cruise bookings through the Hub App or online, guests need to be able to provide their booking number, their last name, their birthday, the ship name, and the sail date.

The confused cruiser could also check to see if his travel agent had been part of a bigger travel company, who could potentially transfer the booking to a new agent or help transfer everything to the client.

Although the guest identified the professional as a “small time travel agent,” it’s very possible that she was still working under a larger parent company.

It’s also sometimes possible to transfer bookings to a new agent at a different company entirely, but many cruise lines do not allow these transfers after the final payment due date has passed.

Personally, I have always felt most comfortable booking sailings directly through the cruise lines or through larger travel agencies so that I stay in control of my reservation or know that someone will always be there to assist.

A recent Carnival Cruise Line guest had a rather gross question that has made me question if I can ever go swimming on a cruise ship again.

After observing their fellow passengers spending hours in the pools, the Carnival Magic guest couldn’t help but wonder if his fellow cruisers were considerate enough to get out to use the bathroom.

Of course, this is a question that can apply to any ship, resort, waterpark, or public facilities on land that have pools. This cruiser just happened to have recently sailed on a Carnival ship.

They inquired on Reddit: “Many people seemed to stay in pool for hours at a time. Most of those people had drinks delivered to them for hours. Almost none of them seemed to get out of pool. Are these people just peeing in the pools all day long?”

They continued: “I only put my feet in once and decided not to again. At least I observed them draining and cleaning pools nightly. Are people that ignorant and don’t care?”

The idea of urinating in pools isn’t just gross, but it actually can be dangerous

While urine itself is sterile, other contaminants like sweat and microscopic fecal matter that can make people sick may come out with the stream (for lack of better terms).

As a mini chemistry lesson, chlorine and urine can also react to form irritating chemicals called chloramines, which lessen the amount of chlorine available to destroy germs and can irritate the eyes, skin, and respiratory system.

Unfortunately for my sanity, the cruise community largely felt that at least some of their fellow passengers were almost definitely peeing in the pool.

“Simple answer…yes.I rarely go in the pools anyway due to the crowding. I guarantee my 4 year old used the bathroom more times on that pool deck than probably more than half the adults there. And there was never a line…” one cruiser replied.

“Same as any public pool, swim at your own discretion lol,” another joked.

Others had more faith in their fellow passengers and noted that not all bladders are created equal, meaning some people might be able to stay in the water for a long time without a bathroom break.

How Carnival Keeps Passengers Safe

None of the cruise lines – Carnival included – just let passengers turn the pools into their personal toilets willy-nilly.

While there isn’t really a way to detect urine in the water, guests who are caught in the act are removed and disciplined.

For example, a woman was caught peeing on her submerged lounger last summer because she didn’t want to risk giving up her prime spot.

She was swiftly dealt with by onboard security and crew members promptly cleaned up her mess.

If a “Code Brown” happens, meaning someone has pooped in the pool, the pool is immediately shut down for draining and enhanced sanitation.

To try to avoid this, Carnival has a strict policy in which children in diapers and/or children who are not potty trained are not allowed in the pools.

Read Also: 15 Most Annoying Things People Do on Cruises

Additionally, Carnival is required to follow strict water treatment and sanitation standards that have been established by the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program.

This includes treating the pool water and jacuzzis with chlorine to disinfect the water and consistently monitoring the chemical levels and pH of the water.

As the questioning cruiser mentioned, the pools and hot tubs are drained nightly (and more when necessary) and refilled with freshly treated seawater.

Finally, Carnival’s policy strongly urges guests to follow hygienic guidelines when swimming, including showering before entering the water and sitting out when experiencing stomach upset or fever.